Haunting
by autobotgirl12328
Summary: Animated. Someone's out to bring the Autobots down from their hero status, sending Detroit into a crime world frenzy. Can the Autobots stop this mystery man before he murders innocent life, including Sari?
1. Prologue

Haunting…

Prologue

The pitter patter of rain. A storm was coming. Right then it was a quiet calm that came before. The puddle's water parted as a foot stepped in. they rushed down the alley way. Panting and gasping echoed behind them. An item pressed against his chest. His sweat merged with the rain against his checks. He fell. The item thrown from his hands. He pushed himself up. Gazing at the item, they were startled when a figure stood over it.

"Who are you?" the man panted.

"I've been looking for this item. It'll 'help' me in my mission," hummed the figure, snatching up the object.

"It won't work! You can't use it on them! They won't be affected…" the man shouted.

"With a few adjustments this will work to my jobs quite soon…" the figure chuckled.

"Why?" spat the man, "Why are you after them?"

"This world worships them like eternal heroes. The fact is…" the figure explained, lowering to eye level with the man, "No hero is eternal. Every hero will fall…"

"You can't! They protect this city! You kill them and you'll be the most wanted man alive…" the man gasped, spitting rain water from his mouth.

"Who said I'd kill them. I'll simply…make sure they won't be a problem to me anymore," snickered the figure, disappearing into the shadows.

"I won't let you! I swear! I will protect them in any way!" shouted the man.

"The end for the Autobots is emanate," chuckled the figure among the shadows.

The rain poured down. Everything returned to a calm shower. The flash of lightning. The loud roar of thunder. Echoing through the night, the story begins…


	2. A warning

Author's note

I'm afraid I forgot what the original intensions of this story were. This doesn't mean I've completely given up on this. I've looked back upon it several times in thought about what I planned for it myself. It is as much a mystery to you as it is to me now. I've written a basic idea of what I want to happen but some of it seems…rather out of character of me and the show. In other words, I may change it at any minute so this first chapter may become something different sooner, later or never.

Now, let's finally get this story under way. Tell me if its good. Tell me if you have a better idea. Tell me if I should've left it on the last chapter until I really knew what I was doing. And those who are picky, this story takes place around the 2nd season of Transformers Animated.

Haunting…

Chapter 1: A Warning

"I hate the rain," mumbled Sari, looking out the window longingly.

The base was rather empty. It was late in the year and things were going on rather slow. The rain simply proved the depression falling into place. The sound of rain's footsteps over the roof echoed endlessly in the base making it bigger than it was. Sari sighed. As if the base wasn't big enough.

"Come on, Sari!" cheered Bumblebee, coming up behind her. "We can find something cool to do inside!"

"Yeah, I know," sighed Sari. "But I really wanted something exciting to happen today."

"Yeah, I know," mumbled Bumblebee. "In the meantime, we're going to have to make our own excitement!"

"Fine by me!" smiled Sari.

Just then an alarm sounded throughout the hollow halls of the deadly silent base. Sari groaned. Optimus and the others rushed in and began to attend to the computer. Bumblebee, slightly startled at the alarm, looked around as if wondering where the old alarm came from. Sari sprang to her feet and marched up to Optimus.

"I was supposed to be having fun with Bumblebee! You guys can't leave now!" huffed Sari.

"Sorry but it looks like a crime in progress downtown," explained Optimus, without bothering to look down.

"Can I come and watch?" smiled Sari, perking up with big eyes.

"No," replied Optimus, again not looking down.

"Why not!" begged Sari.

"Because we shouldn't be taking children into a crime in progress," mumbled Optimus, leaving the computer.

"You've done it before," huffed Sari.

"And Captain Fanzone is not happy with us doing such," Optimus went on, looking back the others.

"Awwwwwwwww…" whimpered Sari, crossing her arms.

"I'm sorry," Optimus sighed. "Autobots transform and roll out!"

Sari watched as the team transformed, lights and sirens lit up and howling. Optimus was the last to leave, giving one last apology and ordering her to stay put. Finally he left her be. Sari screamed out after him, knowing he couldn't hear a word. She huffed and turned around.

"I don't need any stupid Autobot to help me have fun," she mumbled. Pausing, she slouched and mumbled again, "But it would be helpful."

"What a young girl you are…"

Sari gasped, spinning around. There stood a tall man in a dark suit. His eyes were shielded by reflective sunglasses. A twisted smile emerged on his face. This was a perfect reason, to Sari, to run as far away as possible. She took off across the open floor and fled for her room. The man chuckled, slipping something from his coat pocket.

"Optimus, are you sure it was smart to leave Sari at the base?" Bumblebee asked.

"Its better than bringing her into a fight with a thief," Optimus offered.

"He's got a point, little buddy, she'd safer," Bulkhead hummed.

"Safer…please! She knows us!" snapped Ratchet. "She wouldn't be safe really anywhere."

"And Ratchet has a point now too," Prowl offered.

"We'll discuss it later," growled Optimus. "We're here."

They arrived at a small building with no lights on. Cops were pulled everywhere around it. The Autobots transformed and were immediately addressed by the Captain. The situation was a simple one. A robber was attempting to get money from the bank with the threat of a bomb. There were only four people within the building beside the bomber: a bank teller, an old man, a mother and her child. Each was playing as a hostage.

"What do we do?" Bumblebee asked. "We've never really dealt with something like this before."

"We can't go in so hastily though," Optimus sighed. "He could use that bomb at any moment."

"Or not!" the captain gasped, turning to the entrance.

There stood a ragged man. He wore a titled hat and a torn brown jacket. His jeans were torn practically everywhere but his knees. He panted quietly, a small rectangular object in his hand. The cops raised their weapons. The man shook his head, placing the bomb down.

"What's he doing?" gasped the Captain.

"I never meant to do kill anyone else," whispered the man. "I was set up!"

"By who?" snapped Bumblebee. "Who would set you up as bomber!"

"A man in black suit," sobbed the man. "He said he needed a distraction!"

"For who?" snapped the Captain.

The man, deep in tears, slipped his hand into his pocket. He pulled out a small gun. The cops tensioned, gripping their weapons harder. The man shook his head, smiling lightly but crookedly. He placed the revolver to his head.

"He's gonna kill himself!" howled the Captain. "Stop him!"

"Kill…himself?" whispered Optimus.

"I was only a distraction. He told me to do it!" cried the man.

"Distract who!" ordered the Captain.

"He told me her name was Sari…" the man whispered, cocking the gun.

"Sari!" screamed Bumblebee.

With that a gun fired.


	3. Find A Reason

A/N

I'm **so** doing Sari out of Character in this chapter. I am warning you! Boo!

Haunting…

Chapter 2: Find a reason

Sari pushed hard against the glass surface. She wasn't sure what happened. She was only certain she'd awoken in this room without vision of the world outside. All was glass, reflecting her inner confusion and that she was trapped. No one had spoken to her. She wasn't even sure who kidnapped her. She cried out several times for, first, Bumblebee and then Optimus.

"Who are you!" cried Sari, ready to give up.

"What's your favorite book?"

Sari perked at the sound of voice other than her echo. Looking behind her she found a tall man in a black suit standing. His eyes were toward the sky and hands were in his pockets. She frowned, unpleased at his appearance. He didn't look at her or make any moves, which only seemed to unnerve Sari more. She huffed, turning away.

"You know, you don't kidnap people to ask for their favorite book!" snapped Sari.

"I like a passage in a book I once read," mumbled the man, looking away from the ceiling and toward the wall to his left.

"Your point?" huffed Sari.

"It talks about a book of crimes throughout the ages at that time. A wonderful little tale of horrors such as murder," explained the man. "Something I've always wanted to read myself."

"You want to read a book mentioned in a book?" questioned Sari.

"_It was a history of the lives and trials of great criminals, and the pages were soiled and thumbed with use. Here he read of dreadful crimes that made the blood cold, of secret murders that had been committed by the lonely wayside; of bodies hidden from the eye of man in deep pits and wells, which would not keep them down, deep as they were, but had yielded them up at last, after many years, and so maddened the murders with the sight…_" recited the man, a twisted smile on his face.

"You want to read a book like that!" gasped Sari.

"It would be quite the page turner, wouldn't you agree."

"You are insane," mumbled Sari.

"I've read several books in my time you see," the man began. "Each tells of a high and mighty hero who defends his lands and saves the girl."

"Your point, insane man?" snapped Sari.

"I've hated every story that said such. Heroes don't always win and don't always save the day," howled the man, finally looking down upon Sari.

She couldn't help but gasp at the sudden gaze. His eyes were stone cold and stared right through her. They were gazing almost directly into her soul. She couldn't make words come out of her mouth, not even the witty remarks she'd learned so well from Bumblebee. He chuckled hard and looked up again.

"Heroes don't always win. Am I the only fool who remembers what horrors the Autobots have brought with them? This war that followed with their landings among us? The destruction? Am I the only one who took notice?" snapped the man. "Am I the only one who cares!"

"They…they do more good than harm!" replied Sari, getting her nerve back.

"Do they?" he asked. "I think I want to see how much of heroes these fools are. I'll put them to testes and take them off their pedestal."

"Why!" gasped Sari. "Why do you care about whether or not the Autobots do more harm than good? They're only trying to help!"

"I'm only trying to help as well!" the man howled, storming up to her and lifting her to eye level. "I will do much more good than them!"

Sari could respond. He was holding her up by the thin collar and his eyes were burning holes. She closed her eyes, trying to look innocent and defenseless. Trying to seem like the innocent child stuck in the cross fire.

"I know…I know what you're thinking," the man whispered, setting her down. "You think you can play the innocent routine. You think you can simple be a bystander. You can't, I've done my research."

"What do you mean?" whispered Sari, looking at the floor again.

"You're their…_representative_. You show them our world," he nodded. "I know you're their closest earth friend."

"Optimus is gonna stop you!" huffed Sari.

The man sighed, backing up. Sari pulled her legs in and looked away. The man groaned, spinning on his heels. He began to leave, with his mind full of plans. Meanwhile, alarms were sounding in Optimus Prime's head. He couldn't focus and Bumblebee was about ready to chew his head off.

"I knew we should've taken her with us!" sobbed Bumblebee.

"And then what?" huffed Ratchet.

Optimus couldn't form a response to silence the arguments. He couldn't imagine what Sari was thinking or where she was. He couldn't think straight about this whole mishap. After that bomber incident…he was sure that no one was thinking straight. Bumblebee continued to howl at everyone though. Bulkhead was also losing his head. Ratchet was just getting angry at the sound of the others squabbling.

"This is your fault!"

Optimus jolted out of his mixed thoughts. Bumblebee was addressing him with a rarely seen angry expression. His eyes were narrowed and he wore a steady frown. Optimus was still at a loss for words. Everyone had frozen as Bumblebee addressed the leader directly. Optimus couldn't react properly. In his right mind, he would've snapped back. If only in his right mind, he could plan things out to get Sari back.

"I know…" Optimus whispered. "Bumblebee…I'm sorry."

"Sorry? You better be!" growled Bumblebee.

"We're going to get Sari back, I promise you," Optimus assured.

"We better get her back," sighed Bumblebee, marching off.

Optimus sighed. The team dispersed after giving odd looks to their leader. Everything was growing tensed. Optimus was losing his cool and couldn't think straight. No Decepticon would be foolish enough to steal Sari from their base, in fear of the alarms that would go off. Humans however would probably not be picked up on the alarm radar.

"We'll work things out," whispered Optimus with a slight nod.

A/N

Bonus points to those who can tell me what book mister mystery man read from.


End file.
